9 touching Tom Petty tributes, from Against Me! to Wilco
[Photos by: Tom Petty: Sam Jones, Laura Jane Grace: Andrew Bastion, Miley Cyrus: NBC, The National: @BryceDessner]
Tom Petty inspired and entertained millions of fans around the world over his nearly five-decade career in music, which is why it's no surprise that so many musicians have come out to honor the man with some emotional covers.
Watch how the music world said goodbye to Tom Petty through his music below.
Read more: Tom Petty offered escapism through music and portrayed love in its purest form
UPDATE: The Killers cover “American Girl” and “The Waiting”
The Killers covered two Tom Petty songs at Austin City Limits festival. “It was just like somebody stabbed you in the heart when you heard that he had died,” Brandon Flowers told the crowd before his performance of “The Waiting,” expressing his appreciation for Petty and his influence.
Against Me! cover “Runnin' Down a Dream”:
Before Against Me! covered Tom Petty's classic “Runnin' Down A Dream” in Cleveland, Ohio on Oct. 4, Laura Jane Grace spoke about the influence that Petty had on her all the way back to when she was a child.
“I moved to Gainsville, Florida where the Heartbreakers were from and as soon as this band started making any money, I bought a Rickenbacker guitar because Tom Petty played a fucking Rickenbacker guitar.”
Cloakroom cover “You Don't Know How It Feels”:
The morning following Tom Petty's death, Cloakroom covered Tom Petty's 1994 classic, “You Don't Know How It Feels” featuring more of a distorted approach.
Miley Cyrus covers “Wildflowers”:
Miley provided the country-inspired vocals while her father provided the guitar track as the two covered “Wildflowers” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Miley had also covered the same song earlier that day on Howard Stern's radio show.
Miley chose the song because it's “hopeful rather than mourning.”
Coldplay cover “Free Fallin'”:
After remembering Petty with a minute of silence, Coldplay performed “Free Fallin'” with R.E.M.'s Peter Buck.
Father John Misty covers “To Find A Friend”:
It was hard for the Father John Misty fans to contain their excitement when he began to play “To Find a Friend,” but the excitement quickly turned into awe as he does an amazing job tributing Petty with this cover.
The National cover “Damaged by Love”:
The National's Matt Berninger and Bryce Dessner shared a stripped down version of Petty's 2006 release, “Damaged by Love.” Aaron Dessner also shared a video of Berninger dancing along to Petty's version of the song, showing that the National have been doing what we've all been doing lately: listening to a lot of Tom Petty.
Dave Matthews, alongside Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle and Patty Griffin cover “Refugee”:
This quartet performed on the opening night of the Lampedusa: Concerts for Refugees tour, which benefits refugees through the Jesuit Refugee Service's Global Education Initiative, making this cover truly even better.
Wilco cover “The Waiting”:
Wilco has covered Petty before, but there was something special about this performance of “The Waiting” that happened the night following Petty's death. As a special treat, check out them covering “Listen To Her Heart” in 1995.
